Victor Padilla / Latin Times : Please tell us about the Oliva Tobacco Company Family History and how it was started ? John Oliva Sr : Oliva Tobacco Company was formed by my father Angel Oliva in 1934 . He came to the US in 1925 and worked with Johnson Tobacco . Then , in 1934 he started the Oliva Tobacco Company together with my uncles he brought over from Cuba , Marcelino , his older brother , and Martin his younger brother who is now 76 years old .
Victor Padilla / Latin Times : Please tell the people of your Hometown and about your passion for the Hispanic / Latino heritage and history of Tampa ? John Oliva Sr : I was born about 3 blocks from here . The house has been in the family for a long time . My Dad bought the house across the Columbus Drive Bridge on the river . Then my aunt and uncle bought the house and my aunt still lives there . This is West Tampa we ’ re a block away from Lou Panella baseball Park . This building we ’ re in was the Garcia y Vega building which we bought from General Cigar . The other cigar factory my dad owned was a Ball factory and today it belongs to the Scientologists . The heritage for me here , in this city is rich both in West Tampa and YBOR City even though the original offices were in Ybor City . We moved here about 10 or15 years ago . We still own the building in Ybor city , on as a matter of fact , Angel Oliva Sr . Street . To honor my dad , they changed the name of 18th street , from highway 60 all the way to the interstate to Angel Oliva Sr . Street . We are very , very proud of our heritage . The building we have in Ybor City was built in 1890 . I ’ m told it is the Oldest Wooden Cigar factory in the United States . It has the Cigar museum behind it , casita ’ s historic museum next to it and we have been trying to get the city or state , federal government , whatever , to buy the Building and make that whole block a historical area . Maybe they will , maybe they won ’ t . It is not occupied . This building we have a very sentimental attachment to . It belonged to Garcia y Vega , which was one of our biggest customers and one of best
friends which was Frank Arnessa who recently died after his 90th birthday and with him was Tino Gonzalez who walked here every single day from his house . Tino ’ s whole life was spent in that house , his daughter lived behind him , and his grandson is Tino Martinez the ball player . Everything here we are very proud of , our heritage is here in Tampa .
Victor Padilla / Latin Times : What are your future plans for the Oliva tobacco company and what is in your heart for the future ? John Oliva Sr : I have my son and my nephew , my brother is with me , he is older than I am . Our future is my son and my nephew it ’ s really up to them , my plan is for them to take this thing over if they want it , if not , I really don ’ t know , I have no desire to retire all the way but I can tell you right now , I don ’ t work anymore the way my dad and I worked when he was around . It ’ s up to them . The future of the Oliva Tobacco Company doesn ’ t lie with me it ’ s up to the other individuals here . By surrounding themselves with people who are capable , like Gustavo Curra , not only has he cover storyfinal
worked with us for years , but his father worked for us , his whole family worked with us from Cuba . We want people who will sustain the business , and that includes them . They have to work . We don ’ t have any plans to close down . We ’ re not going to let the government close us down . We ’ re going to fight for the right to be able to do what we have been doing for 75 years , as long as we can take a breath .
Victor Padilla / Latin Times : Who in your lifetime has been a great example to you dead or alive ?
John Oliva Sr : My father . That ’ s a no brainer . Sometimes I realized it and sometimes I didn ’ t . But I still think of him every day . I can tell you this , he died and for about 4 or 5 months I kept walking into his office to ask him an opinion . You don ’ t realize the influence people have on you until they are not around .